


Sunflowers for Cas

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Florist Castiel, Fluff, M/M, Tattoo Artist Dean, i think??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-03-10 09:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3285983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come say hi to me on <a href="http://www.treacherouscas.tumblr.com">tumblr</a>. :)</p></blockquote>





	Sunflowers for Cas

Castiel eyed the additions to the building next to his shop suspiciously. If the big letters – that spelled  _Winchester Ink_  – were anything to go by he was about to have a tattoo shop next to his floriculture and he hoped to God the owner wasn’t one of those aggressive guys who rode motorcycles and went to bars every night or he could already feel the future headaches.

“You like it?” Castiel turned around to the source of the voice and raised his eyebrows. So this was his new neighbor…

“The contrast is interesting.” He pointed at his own shop, with pastel walls and surrounded by flowers.

“Yeah, I thought it was hilarious when I first saw it. Not exactly the kind of business you want next to yours if you have a tattoo shop, right?” The stranger read something on his phone and Castiel took the moment to examine his appearance.

As if to laugh at his face, Destiny sent someone the opposite of what he was expecting: no beard – although he probably hadn’t shaved that morning –, no spiked clothes, no bandanas or anything that would compel him to cross the street if they met somewhere with poor illumination. In fact, ignoring maybe four or five tattoos on his arms and a ring on his bottom lip, Castiel admitted that man was nothing close of what he thought when he noticed the black walls and the red letters of his establishment.

“I suppose.” Castiel didn’t let himself show any emotions despite what the other man had just said; over the years, it was an art he learned to master.

“Well, I’m just waiting to see if the owner’s hot.” The man winked and Castiel’s mouth turned up a bit.

“I’m not sure hot is a word anyone ever used when describing me.” Castiel smiled when the stranger blushed and stared at him with wide eyes.

“Shit, you’re the owner?” He huffed an embarrassed laugh and scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, sorry about… you know, what I said about not wanting-“

“You couldn’t have known.” Castiel interrupted. “And I agree; they don’t exactly match.”

“Yeah…” He stared at Castiel for a while before holding up a hand. “I’m Dean.”

“Castiel.” They shook hands. “I have to open the shop but it was nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Dean gave him a warm smile and a wave before going to his own building.

***

The next day Castiel made a point of leaving earlier with the excuse that he wanted to have breakfast at his brother’s bakery – the fact that he left with a whole pie meant to be delivered to one particular tattoo artist was nothing but a happenstance.

When Castiel opened the door to the tattoo shop, three pairs of eyes set on him but none of them the green he was hoping for.

“I’m looking for Dean?” He asked, suddenly self-conscious and intimidated by the way they were staring at him.

“I’ll get him…” The blonde girl behind the counter said right before yelling Dean’s name and startling Castiel. Hopefully she wouldn’t do that when the shop was open for business.

“If you weren’t like a sister to me, I’d be sad this is the only way I can make you scream my name. Oh, hi, Cas.” Dean was surprised but his smile was still warm.

“Good morning, Dean.” Castiel let himself smile back; the nervousness was starting to wear off. “I was at my brother’s bakery earlier today and thought I would buy something to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

“Man, is it pie?” Dean sighed when he smelled the package. “Thank you, Cas. You want a slice?”

“Oh, no, I have to go… But I appreciate the offer.” Castiel left as fast as he could without seeming rude and collapsed against his desk chair when he was already safe inside his shop; he wasn’t an impulsive person but unfortunately spending time with his brother always led to stupid decisions and actions he didn’t think through.

He could only hope Dean would see it as a friendly gesture and not as anything Gabriel suggested it would look like.

***

It took three days for Dean and Castiel to meet again.

With the tattoo shop being prepared to work and Castiel’s mind insisting Dean saw him as every one of his classmates did when he was a kid, he decided to live his life as if nothing had happened. And it hadn’t, really, but the fact that Castiel found himself even remotely interested in someone after all these years scared him.

When the bell rang at the door, Castiel was too busy setting up a bouquet to look up. He only paid attention to Dean’s grinning figure when Mrs. Anderson left and he was glad he wasn’t holding anything or he would have a floor to clean later.

“Dean.” Castiel thought it sounded like he didn’t want to see the other man, but Dean just smiled.

“Cas, we’re neighbors, you shouldn’t be this surprised to see me.” He raised his arm and Castiel spotted a plastic bag. “Are you busy? I brought lunch.” Dean’s smile wavered. “I mean, unless you already have plans…”

“I never have plans.”

“Good. I mean, not good that you never have plans, it’s good that you can have lunch with me.” Dean cleared his throat. “I hope you like burgers.”

“Burgers make me very happy.” Castiel smiled. “Let me just close the door.”

Dean took the opportunity to look around and go through all the flowers Castiel had on his shop; and even with the impressive amount Dean could see, he couldn’t help but notice one kind overshadowed the others.

“You sure like sunflowers, huh?” Dean asked as Castiel guided him to his office.

“They’re my favorites. The way they chase the light has always been fascinating to me, ever since I was a kid.”

Having lunch together quickly became a permanent plan on their agendas. It didn’t matter who brought the food or if they went out, they always found a way to do it. Conversation would flow about various subjects, from Castiel’s choice of business to the weirdest tattoo Dean ever drew; it was the highlight of their days.

Until two months later.

Castiel hadn’t seen or heard from Dean in a week. He didn’t want to go to his shop again because they would tell him Dean was busy and he was scared he might’ve done something to upset him even if he couldn’t for the life of him remember what it was. Suddenly Castiel went back to self-doubting himself and wondering why was it that whenever he found a friend he always managed to ruin it.

The hours passed. Lunch time came and Castiel ate alone just like the last seven days. As some kind of blessing, he had a busy afternoon and could forget about his problems while he helped the customers pick flowers for their loved ones.

By the time six o’clock rolled around he settled on going home early and blame it on the cloudy weather. As he was looking for his keys, someone cleared their throat in front of him.

“Dean?” Castiel was sure this was the moment Dean would list everything he did wrong in the past two months and say he didn’t want to be his friend anymore.

“Hey, Cas.” Dean’s voice was soft and he looked down almost… embarrassed? Castiel frowned; this was not going the way he expected. “I have a few things to say but first let me show you something.”

He started unrolling his shirt’s sleeve and Castiel felt his heart stop for a second when he saw the new addition to Dean’s collection of tattoos. On the inside of his forearm, occupying most of the space there, was a bouquet of sunflowers so carefully drawn Castiel had to touch the skin to make sure they weren’t real.

What shocked Castiel the most, though, wasn’t the drawing, but what was written above it. In delicate handwriting were two simple words that held much more meaning than anything anyone had ever said to him:  _for Cas._

“You like it?” Dean whispered the same words he had said when they first met.

“It’s beautiful, Dean.” Castiel whispered back fighting the tears that threatened to fall. “Is that why you didn’t come this week?”

“It healed pretty well, I could’ve stopped by like three days ago… I just didn’t have the guts to come sooner and show you. Sammy said I was insane because we just met like two months ago and tattoos are a permanent deal so… I’m sorry, Cas, I was an idiot. I was avoiding you and you have every right in the world to be pissed but just-“

“I thought you didn’t want to be my friend anymore.” Dean looked up and smiled.

“Well, I don’t.” He continued when he saw the hurt in Castiel’s eyes. “I want to be more. I want to have lunch with you and sit beside you not across from you. I want to hold your hand and kiss that frown off your face and make you smile and talk about all the flowers in the world and even about that weird-ass, but cute, habit of yours to watch the bees.”

And there was no stopping the tears falling from Castiel’s eyes now. He stared at his feet trying to hide it but Dean made a point of lifting his chin and running his thumb on Castiel’s cheeks.

“Why would you want that?” Castiel whispered with that frown he had whenever Dean said something he didn’t understand.

“Why wouldn’t I? Cas, you’re one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met. The way you talk about your flowers, the way you care about them, how protective you are of your siblings, how every little thing is an example of beauty to you… I wish you could look in the mirror and think the same about yourself.”

Castiel couldn’t find the right words so he hugged Dean instead. As he buried his head on the crook of Dean’s neck he felt safe. For once, it was like nothing could hurt him; everything he went through in school, everything that was said to him was now forgotten because he had finally found someone who saw him for who he really was, someone who didn’t care about his love for flowers and thought his habit of watching the bees was endearing.

“What I mean with all this, Cas, is…” Dean continued while he held Castiel as tight as he could. “Will you go on a date with me?”

“Of course.” Castiel moved away just enough to look into Dean’s eyes and couldn’t stop the smile spreading on his face.

***

Two years later, Dean and Castiel sat inside the same shop in front of which they met for the first time while they got matching tattoos on their ring fingers.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi to me on [tumblr](http://www.treacherouscas.tumblr.com). :)


End file.
